Converting from .MDB Access to PostgreSQL

Hello,

I'm somewhat a newbie to databases, but not to Linux or Windows. Have a client that is running
software on the Win32 platform that is currently using ODBC to access .MDB "MS Access database
files" on a samba fileserver. They are getting random record locking errors, and the software
vendor is blaming the number of computers, saying that the ODBC access to database files is only
good for a handful of computers, not the 8 that we have.

Their recommendation is to use MS SQL database, and set up the entries in the ODBC panel for the
clients to point to the MS server. They provide a little utility to create and copy the .MDB file
data to the MS SQL database server.

I want to use PostgreSQL, not MS's product. I've got the server set up, and have the ODBC drivers
installed on a test client, but now I need to get the data from the .MDB files into the PostgreSQL.
There are several databases.

What is the most pain-free way one can accomplish this? I think the Access database files are an
older format, because when I go to open them with MS Access 2000, it states that the files need to
be converted to the new format (which I obviously did not do - didn't want to break the app).

I assume there are two distinct functions that need to be done:
1. Create the databases, with the appropriate tables and columns
2. Move the data within the database.

I did do some searching on the site, but most of the stuff didn't quite "click". Any advice given
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Bob